Culinary equipment



Dec. 19, 1933. N. v. HYBINETTE CULINARY EQUIPMENT Filed March 18, 1930 INVENTOR M K122; W

ZauJM W a ATTORN EYS Patented Dec. 19, 1933 v 'l g l i o PATENT: OFF-l 1,940,172 CULINARY EQUIPMENT amt ,Victoi-Ll-Iybinette, Wilmington, DeL, assignor toThe Nicralumin Company, Jackson,

1 Mich., a-corporation ofgMichigan I H ,Ap u ati nfimml is, 1930. Serial No; 436,770

' comma; (01.219-19). V

Th s invention 'relatesto culinary eouipment, obtain theadvantage of having the accumulator and particularly to .a devicefor heating dishes itself ata high temperature, I provide it with a 'a q t nsupporting frame, or with insulated supports, or

One of the most common annoyancesincone othersupports, which are adapted to rest upon .5 nection ,with' the service ,and consumption of the table and tosupport the'accumulator ele- 60 food in homes and hotels arise's from the dime ment-above the table, with an air space between, I culty in keeping :plates and 1 other dishes at a and I also provide the accumulator element with I suitable temperature, Cold dishes rapidly chill a framepr other support adapted to supporta the food, which is served thereon, so that it plate or other dish somewhat above theaccumuoften becomes unpalatable before it can be conlator elementso as, to leave an air space between 6 5 sumed. Hotels J are commonly provided with the accumulator element and the supported dish. heatingclos'ets, but dishes warmed 'thereinlose Thesupportsfor supporting the accumulator, their temperature rapidly in transit to thetable; and for-supporting dishes on the accumulator, Various,devices for heating plates, and pther may'vary in form andarrangement. Projec- 1il-5 dishes have been suggested butallare unsatistions of an insulatingcharacter OrCOmP ,70}

factoryfor various ,reasons., t a such as porcelainknobs, may be attachedto, the 7 It is theobject of the present invention to accumulator element forsupporting it from the provide a simple and satisfactory device which table and for supportingthe dishes upon y b lied i h itchen and se ving 0rdin-' metal supporting; elements may be employed $1 ing room to heat or, to maintainthe' tempera- ,which are insulated from the accumulatorele- 75 I '26 prepared for use.

.ture o i h d i90 'th e e mentsso thatithey will; be at a lower tempera- M A'further'object of the invention' the pioture.. 1 V i i i V m a w eby 1 a;.-p 1ity of the de- The support forthe accumulator which I convices may be heated simultaneously and thus siderparticularlyadvantageous is a frame, prefhi samurai); providediwith suitable supor chromium or enamel so that it willret'ain a vport such as a supporting frame,and also; propleasingappearance;in service. The frame may vided withsupports, or supporting.,means, =such be of any suitable shape, for example; circular in device:*of the present invention comprises coated with any suitable material such as nickel asgthe supporting. frameg forr supporting the ,case it is adapted for ordinaryplatesor ovalif 5 ,plate 'orivotherfdishto be heated, The accumuintended to-be used in connection with platters. lator itself'is amass of a suitable metaljadapted The lower edge ofthe frame is intended to rest to receive and accum'ulate heat 'andito" transmit upon a.-table or other support, or when thedeit primarily'to the platewhich is supported on vices, are nested, upon the underlying device,

: the'device. The accumulator maybe madeof and preferably the lower edge is COHtlIllIlOHSySO Various metals} bill/11161531575110?! a uminu that when the devices are nested they form a $1160 n i -lm a qysthe eo half? a chamber, Each device is provided preferably 7 the m l ap 1c0n$ide17ab1y above 3 t YWith an outwardly extending fiangewhich may gothermetalsr Consequently these materials are be disposed at angle corresponding bestedepted ,for'lthe m of h fl e i stantially to the usual formation of plates. The 5 I prefer to employ ordinary commercial alumi- -nurn which hasnot only,. ]suflicient thermal capacityabutjalso a desirable rate of heat transfer.

f ,fifhis is also true of variousaluminum alloys,

and particular'ly alloys of aluminumwith silicon flange aflords a support for the platewhich is disposed onthe-"device, and,='bec'ause j it projects into the atmospheregit is normally cool and thus serves as a handle. I l I The: device may be constructed in various sizes and/orzmagnesium The alloysvmayphowever, 1 r i contain considerable quantities of heavy metals g P f e e Plates ndrf i d h g l suchas iron, without. destroying. their efllciency erent m n w and or m A each device may be of suitable, dimensionsto nter use in heat, accumulators.

50 The accumulator itself is ,adapted,andintendiaccbmplishfihe'purposebf e e i I find ed tolbe heated, to .a, relativelyr h vte that a mass of ordinaryaluminum or of alight ture,,for lexamp1e,,around"30!) .or. 400?, whichnis u u alloy ut flveginches in diameter toojhi gh toperinit ittojbe placed upon an ordi and q e halt i fch t ck wei hin ab t on 1 nary, table cloth and also-too hot to place the pound, Iwillaccumulate enough heat when raised fiat portioniof a plate directly on it; {Inordertc to a temperature of 300 F. to keep an ordinary 1 10 .erably of metal, which, may be polished and 80 I transfer of heat to the frame or supports and is particularly advantageous .when the devices.

are nested. Heat may be applied beneath the nested devices, and the circulation of the heated air through the central openings and about the edges of the accumulators will ensure rapid heating of the accumulators to the desired temperature.

The heating may be accomplished by means of any convenient source of heat such-as a gas flame or an electric heating element. I prefer to provide a support including a parabolic reflector with an electric heating element of the type commonly employed in reflector heaters disposed therein. The devices rest on this support in nested relation, and I provide a cover which may be also generally parabolic in shape, thus affording a closed chamber. The heating element may be connected to a source of current and the heat thus generated will rapidly raise the temperature of the accumulators to the required point. The devices may be removed then and utilized to heat or to maintain the temperature of plates and other dishes or to keep food on the dishes at a suitable temperature.

In order that overheating may be avoided, a suitable automatic switch can be installed in the connection between the heatingelement and the source of current. A timed switch having suitable clockwork may be employed, or a switch of the thermostatic variety may be used. Such switches are available in the market, and-the details thereof form no part of the present invention.

In using the device after the accumulator has been raised to a suitable temperature, a plate or other dish which may have been previously warmed is disposed on the device, and the heat in the accumulator will be transmitted to the plate and to food thereon, maintaining the temperature thereof for relatively long periods, even though the plate and food are'exposed to the atmosphere. The device may also be used as a spacer for plates covering food thereon, thus keeping the food in the underlying plate at a relatively high temperature and at the same time maintaining the temperature of the overlying plate and food thereon. Food maybekept at the required temperature in a stack of plates or dishes with interposed heat accumulators for extended periods. I

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying specification and drawing, in which Fig. l is a sectional view of the device with a plate supported thereon;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a stack of the devices arranged in conjunction with an electric heater; I

Fig.3 is a sectional viewof the device employed as a spacer to maintain the temperature of food in the plates below and above the accum ulator; V

Fig. 4 is a detail in section of a modified form of the device; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the device.

Referring to the drawing, 5 indicates a metal frame in the form of an annulus, having a lower edge 6 which is adapted to rest on a table or other support. An outwardly extending flange 7 is disposed at an angle and forms a handle for the device and a support for the plate 8 which rests thereon. The heat accumulator 9 comprises an annular mass of metal, for example aluminum or an alloy thereof with silicon and/or magnesium and/or other metals. The accumulator is supported on the frame in spaced relation thereto by a plurality of screws 10. A heat insulating band 11 may be disposed on the inner side of the frame to avoid the transfer of heat thereto. The heat accumulator 9 has preferably a central opening 12. Screens 13 of wire mesh are disposed above and below the accumulator and are fastened to the frame to avoid inadvertent contact with the accumulator and consequent burning of the hands or other materials.

A plurality of the devices may be nested as indicated in Fig. 2 and mounted on a support 14 having legs 15 and a reflector '16 generally ance wire (not shown) on a suitable insulating support. The standard hair pin element, consisting of a 'bent metal tube with a filling of magnesia in which the resistance wire is enclosed, may be used. It may be surrounded by any suitable heat radiating casing. The resistance wire is connected by conductors 20 to any suitable source of current, and an automatic switch 21 is disposed preferably in the circuit to shut off the current after a predetermined time and thus to prevent overheating of the heat accumulators. Preferably the heating element extends upwardly through the openings in the accumulators. I find it desirable, for example, if twelve accumulators are stacked, to extend the heating element through eight or nine. All of the accumulators are thus raised to an approximately uniform temperature. A shorter element may be used if fewer accumulators are to be heated. When the temperature of the accumulators has risen'sufliciently, the device may be removed and utilized as in Fig. 1 to heat or maintain the temperature of plates and food thereon. 1

As indicated in Fig. 3,-the device may. be used as a spacer by inverting it over a plate 22 and "then supporting another plate 23 thereon. In

this case, heat radiates from the accumulator to the food on the plate 22 and the plate 23 is simultaneously warmed by, the heat released from the accumulator. Anumber of plates and spacers may be assembled thus to form a stack in which food can be maintained at the desired temperature for considerable periods. u 1

In 'Figs. 4 and 5, a modified. form of the device is shown in which the accumulator 9' is provided with lugs 24 spaced about its periphery,

the lugs having grooves 25 in their edges. The

to dislodge any dirt which might catch between V 7 1,940,172 and to prevent water to enter so that the device may be kept in a sanitary condition.

Thedevice is quite economical. I have found, for example, that with a heating apparatus as shown in Fig. 2, with an electric heaterof 500 watts capacity, it is possible to heat a nest of twelve accumulators weighing about one pound each for approximately 30 minutes to the required temperature, fcrexample about300 F. Consequently the device may be used advantageously in homes and hotels to ensure the service of food at a satisfactory. temperature.

The device is not limited, however, to use with an electric heater, as the accumulator can be heated on an ordinary gas stove or with any gas flame.

The surfaces of the heat accumulatorsmay be smooth or they may be corrugated or otherwise modified to affect thespeedof heat transfer therefrom. They may be constructed either with or without a central opening, and invarious sizes and shapes to meet special requirements. V

The device is simple in construction and presents a pleasing appearance, particularly when the exposed metal frame is suitably decorated. It may be used, therefore, at the table and'when so usedensures the most satisfactory service of food. 1

"support, the spacing of the accumulator from the frame, or the provision of insulation, or the limited contact between the accumulator and frame, will permit the frame or 'othersupport to cool off more rapidly by radiation and they will also be less readily heated when the accumulator elements are heated; I consider it important to provide the accumulator elements with supports, eitherin the form'of frames or in the form of other supports, which are of insulating material, such as knobs or projections, or which are insulated from the accumulator elements or which are'spaced and so limited in their contact that the supports which, come into contact with the tablecloth do not heat the table cloth to an objectionably high temperature, and support the accumulator elements above the table cloth so as to leave an air space between them. So also, it is advantageousto have the accumulator itself supported in such a way that theplates which are in turn arranged above the accumulator element are spaced away from it and donot come into direct contact with it. The arrangement shown, with anair space between the accumulator element and the surroundingsupport, together with a central opening in the accumulator plate, .permits circulation of air around the accumulator elementand in contact with the bottom of the plate or other dish, thus tending to maintaina uniform temperature without objectionable local overheating;

While I have shown screens .above 'andbelow the accumulator element, and While I consider a The termfframe as used in the accompanying-claims contemplates any form of support for the heat accumulator.

these advantageous in many cases, theyare not necessary and may be omitted in many, cases.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction and the materials employed without departing from the invention or sacrific'inglany of the advantages thereof.

'I'claim: a a

1.A device of thecharacter described com-I prising a frame and a heat accumulator supported at its side edges in the frame and in spaced relation to and between the planes of the I upper and lower edges thereof. j 2. A device of the character described comprising a frame having an outwardly and upwardly directed flange, and a heat accumulatorfl having a central opening supported at its side edges in the frame and in spacedjrelation to and between the planes of the upper and lower edges thereof.

'3. A heat accumulator for heating dishes con taining food comprising a generally flat metal accumulator element adapted to be preheated and to beplaced under the dish to be heated,

. and supports forlthe side edges of said accumulator element for supporting the element" above the table and for supporting the dish above the I element-so as to provide an air space between the element and the table and between the dish land the element. 4

4. A heat accumulator for heating dishes containing food comprising a generally flat metal accumulator element adapted to be preheated no I and to be placed under the dish'to beheated,

and supports for the side edges of said element for supporting and insulating the same from the table to provide an airspace between the table and the accumulator element and said element also having means'for supporting a dishabove the element and the dish.

5. A device of the character described comprising a frame having an upwardly-and outwardly flaring flange of-substantial width, the

angle of the flare of the flange being substanthesame so as-to provide an air space between tially equal to the angle of flare ofa dinnerv I plate and aheat accumulator supported inthe frame in spaced relation to the upper and lower edges thereof.

6. A'device of the character described comprising a frame and a heat accumulator, said heat accumulator having at least a portionof its edge grooved and a frame havingabead extended, into said groove to support'the heat accumulator in the frame.

7. A device of the character described compris frame throughout the greaterpart of itsperiphcry, but having extensions with grooved edges engaging said frameand supported thereby bya bead on said frame'extending into'said groove.-'

8. In an assembly of heat accumulators, ,a

heat accumulator units superimposed on. the support,- a singleelectrical heating element exing a frame and a heat accumulator, said'heat accumulator being in spaced relation to the 1%) support having a closed bottom, a plurality of tending through the several units and a cover on the topmost heat accumulator to assist in its.

retaining heat from the heatingelement in the assembly. 5 NOAK'VICTOR. 

